In the Shadows
by Deluthex Wolfgang
Summary: AU. Near is living with a secret. He's a vampire. With L quickly learning of vampire related deaths the detective is working again. Near must also watch his back for Mello. Possible (L X Near) and (Mello X Near)
1. Vampire

Vampire Near fanfiction:

The boy had always seemed to be so exclusive. They merely brushed it off as trauma from his past. Though, in truth, there was a reason that he survived while the other members of his village didn't. Near was a vampire.

The boy clad in white, a symbol of death and\or purity depending on origin, was alone in his room at Wammy's House for Gifted Children. His favorite toy robots were engaged in an intense battle. Though both sides were struggling, whether they were right or wrong. Near himself hadn't decided yet, and twisted a lock of white hair around his finger as he thought. Suddenly, Mello opened the door, his usual expression of anger on his face.

"Near, L is here to talk to you. He said he'd talk to you first. Then he'll talk to me and then he's going to talk to both of us." Near barely moved from where he was seated on the floor. He only nodded as he continued contemplating the winner, the loser, the hero and the tyrant. "Are you listening?!" He shouted and stormed over to see what the boy was doing.

"Of course." Near said, his voice always composed and smooth, "I'll talk to L shortly." Mello flinched,

"He's waiting for YOU! He's here right now!" Near lifted one of the robots and sat it in the center of the group of robots.

"He can wait for a bit. I'm not done yet." Mello stared at the robots and then scoffed,

"Yeah, because your toys are more important than L... Maybe I should be his successor after all." Near ignored him. He had decided which robot would have which role. Though, just because the winner had won, didn't mean that it was the correct choice. The winner was corrupt, while his loser had been the more justified. He finally stood up.

"I'm ready." Mello scowled,

"The hell you are." The older orange-haired boy lead the younger white-haired boy to the room L was in. It was a common meeting room, but Near had never been inside before.

"L said he wanted to talk to you alone. I'll wait out here." He said, still having a slight unfriendly growl to his voice. Near only looked at him for a moment before opening the enormous wooden door, and stepped inside. The door closed heavily behind him.

L was a strange man, no doubt. Yet, his calm demeanor was more approachable and appealing to Near. He was sitting in his odd way with his knees up to his chest and his hands resting on his knees. A cup of tea sat in front of him, with it overflowing with sugar cubes. Near didn't quite know what to think of him.

"Hello Near, how're you?" He asked in his relaxed voice, Near glanced to one of the chairs across L and sat in it. Sitting in his own weird way.

"Fine. What did you need me for?" L used a spoon to try and crush the sugar cubes into his tea, and talked while he did so.

"You see, now that the Kira case has been resolved, we can focus again on other issues. I've recently been informed of a rather interesting case." L explained, finally managing to break up the sugar cubes. Near only watched with mild interest.

"And this case would be?" L looked up,

"A vampire." Near hid his shock, but not completely.

"Are you sure this isn't a hoax? Or just a rather delusional murderer?" L shook his head, finally drinking a bit of the overly sweet tea.

"I'm afraid not. But I'm here today to tell you and Mello what I know about this case. I expect that we can all work together to solve this." Near nodded, and began twirling his hair in interest.

"I'm listening." L thoughtfully chewed on the spoon he had used to crush the sugar.

"For one, all of the victims, seven in total at the moment, have bite marks and no other wounds. Well, they sometimes have a few scratches or bruises, but nothing to support a different form of death. There are never any witnesses, and the victims are always missing large amounts of blood, despite bleeding out of only the bite marks." Near nodded.

"Interesting. Are you sure there's no witnesses? Or are people just too scared to admit they saw something?" L nodded with agreement and finished his tea.

"Perhaps, but the one thing I don't understand is I thought vampires drank blood, but they didn't kill people when they did."

"Maybe it depends on how much blood was taken. You said they were all missing massive amounts of blood, which no human can live without. That's why I believe there must be other victims. Ones that were a snack instead of a meal." L revealed a small plate of cake from underneath the table and began eating it with his spoon.

"Yes, but how to find these people is going to be the hard part." Near continued twisting and twirling his hair, thinking harder.

"If the victims are all from a similar area, there must be a correlation. We could map out where the vampire hunts and interview people within the vicinity." L hummed in approval.

"Very good, we may just do that. The main thing is, the seven victims were all locals from this area."

"Then it's closer than expected." L bit into the cake, his eyes now locked with Near's.

"Much closer than expected." Near stopped twirling his hair for a moment, looking back at L. The moment was oddly intense, a stiff feeling filled the air. "Anyways, you can bring in Mello and leave. You can come back soon though. Me and Mello won't be too long." Near nodded, and got up. He headed to the door and grabbed the handle. "Oh, and Near. You've got some true talent. Good job." The white-haired boy didn't look back, only gave a slight sound of understanding and left. Mello was waiting outside the door. He looked to Near expectantly,

"So... What's the amazing L like?" Near answered as he walked off,

"Smart." Mello frowned and then hissed,

"That's all you can say about him?!" Near shrugged and finally returned to the safety of his room. He glanced at his toy robots, still in the exact place as they were before.

"Looks like I'll have to start watching my back." The boy sighed, and sat back down to his robots. He quickly aligned the robots with a corresponding finger puppet.

"Who will be the winner I wonder?" He pondered to himself and knocked the single victor robot down, instead placing himself, Mello and L's finger puppets in the center.


	2. Hunger

Vampire Near fanfiction 2:  
Near had roughly fifteen minutes to himself before Mello came and got him. Meeting again in the room, the tension remained stiff between him and L. The boy didn't understand why, but there was defiantly a strong awkward feeling. They discussed a more in depth plan to uncover the vampire. This included setting up cameras and having investigators close to Wammy's House. In addition they began the interviews with some of the people inside the orphanage.  
Afterwords, Near went back to his room and spent the remaining hours of the day in wait and in child's play. The three finger puppets sat on the bedside table of his room, waiting and reminding him of there importance. He showered and once he came out he came to his closet and stopped. Near glanced suspiciously left and right before opening the closet door and grabbed a black shirt identical to his normal white shirt in design. He put it on and wore plain grey pyjama pants.  
Near's eyes glinted an inhuman ruby color. It was time to hunt. He moved to the door of his room and opened it quietly; he looked out and made sure no one was around. The white-haired boy quietly slipped out of his room and down the hallway.  
Unbeknownst to him, Mello was still up, and noticed the sound of the door to Near's room open. The orange-haired boy stepped out of his own room and found that Near's was empty.  
Near made his way out fairly easily, since he knew the blind spots of the cameras and the areas the investigators didn't frequent often. Once away from the main area of suspicion, he found a house with its lights still on. Creeping to the windows he found that there was a lone man inside. The man appeared to be heading for bed, so Near only watched a bit longer to insure he was alone. Heading away from the streetlights and to a cracked window, the boy opened it and landed silently inside the home. His palms began to sweat in anticipation of the hot blood that would soon bless his body. His eyes gleamed a dark blood red. He was much hungrier than he expected. The scent that lingered throughout the house was the same, meaning that the man was indeed alone.  
Sneaking closer to the bedroom, Near made sure to keep quiet. Unfortunately, Near had been forced to deal with unexpected things before, like pets or children. He prayed that no such interferences would burden him this night. The boy moved closer and closer, each time he did, the anticipation rose within his small body.  
Near froze when he heard the sound of the man sneeze. He was startled and almost jumped, but he had to stay focused and prepared. The vampire was finally right outside the door, ready to strike. He moved in closer, stalking into the room undetected. The man was turned away from Near on the bed, and Near moved closer... Once close enough, he raised up and forced the man by his shoulders into the bed. Then, he sunk his long and sharp fangs into the man's neck.  
The blood was indescribable. It tasted like sweetness, bitterness and sourness all at once. It was a truly immaculate and rare taste that exceeded all others. He sucked for a while. The reason Near was causing so much death was simple. It was impossible to stop once you've tasted something so well. The white-haired boy had no control over himself once feasting.  
After the meal, Near returned to Wammy's with the same ease he had as leaving. Though he encountered a problem on his way back to his room. Mello was standing in the hallway, now staring at Near. 


	3. The Ice Prince

Vampire Near fanfiction 3:  
Mello stood shocked as he saw Near. There was a deep moment of silence, then Mello spoke.  
"Near, where the hell have you been at this hour?! Aren't you at least worried about that damn vampire!?" Near blinked and shifted his hands over the few stains of blood on his black shirt. Luckily the color did well in hiding what was really on it.  
"I'm not worried about it. There's really no reason to worry." Mello now looked highly suspicious.  
"What do you mean there's no need to be worried? The vampire's killed seven people, and I'm sure there's an eighth in the future. And you never answered my question, what were you doing outside at two in the morning?" Near blinked boredly,  
"The vampire isn't what I'm worried about. And I decided to take a walk." Mello scowled,  
"Yeah, because taking a walk at two in the morning is normal. Well, it might be normal for you... But it doesn't explain why you're dressed so weird. I thought you never wore anything besides white!" Mello started walking close to Near, moving quickly like he was going to punch him.  
"Why does it matter to you?" Near snapped, no longer hiding his annoyance with Mello's twenty questions. He backed up while Mello stormed closer. "Anything I do shouldn't concern you." Mello snatched him by the collar of his black shirt.  
"You piss me off by being so weird! Honestly, I don't care about you. But there's no doubt in me that you being out at two in the morning dressed in dark clothing while dealing with a vampire scenario isn't suspicious. Aren't you supposed to be smart?" Mello spoke with a taunt in his voice. Near glared, it seemed he was being suspected, but there was no proof to back up Mello's suspicions. "I don't blame you for being suspicious, I would suspect myself. But unfortunately for you, you have no proof to back up your thoughts." Mello's eyes widened in anger.  
"Why you smart little bastard!" He raised his fist up, and it flew towards Near's face, but it stopped right before hitting him. "I wish I could punch you right in your smug damn face. But then I might not become L's successor." Mello dropped Near from the tight grip, and the white-haired boy took a moment to regain his composure while Mello turned away and started walking.  
"Nothing was stopping you from punching me. You aren't that stupid, right?" Near remarked, Mello stopped and turned around.  
"If you are a vampire, I'd much rather see you die from sunlight or a stake in the heart..." He snarled and stormed to his room, slamming the door. Near silently crept to his room and removed his dark clothing for his more normal white clothing. He would have to wash those bloodied clothes in the morning, but he felt strangely exhausted from the encounter with Mello. He turned in his bed toward the puppets. He sat Mello's up on a block. Mello was a priority, he hadn't even thought Mello would be an issue, but Near was wrong. Mello could find out and even be his end. He couldn't let that happen.  
"'Ice Prince'?" Near asked, his eyebrow twitching slightly. L nodded,  
"Yes, this is the name we've come up with when discussing the vampire." Near twirled his hair with curiosity.  
"Why this name?" L sipped his tea gingerly,  
"Because it's pretty and deadly." Near stared at L with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Was L figuring it out yet...? "Well, what else did you want to discuss?" He asked, twirling his hair slowly.  
"Someone disabled the security cameras yesterday, or should I say today. It happened at one thirty-nine (1:39). Near frowned,  
"Someone on the inside is aiding the vampire then?" L nodded,  
"That would be what I think. Besides, who else had access to our cameras?" Near nodded and hummed. "Did they ever come back on?" L nodded and finished his tea. "Indeed, they came back on at two o' six (2:06)." Near flinched internally. Was someone trying to help him? Those times were exactly when he left and returned. He wondered how anyone would know... He was being secretive and everything.  
"And Near, have you been researching on vampires?" Near paused,  
"I don't follow. Vampires are supposed to be mythical beings after all." L smiled a bit,  
"Indeed. So you must read a lot about them so you'll be able to decipher myth from truth." He held up a small piece of silver hanging from a string. "Apparently vampires' eyes change color when exposed to silver." Near felt his eyes start to burn and sting. "I know there's a good chance this is true because I've seen it in several books I've researched from." Near subtly rubbed his eyes, if L kept that thing out he might not be able to hide his red eyes.  
"Are you alright, Near? I know you're pale, but I'm quite certain you're not the vampire." Near wished that was the truth but he lied through his teeth.  
"I'm fine. I must be allergic to something." L finally put the piece of silver back in his pocket.  
"I see. Anyways, you are dismissed. Bring in Mello. He told me he had something important to tell me." Near nodded and quickly, but as he got up to leave L added, "Oh, and you'll have to find out what you're allergic to. Hopefully not silver. Vampires are supposedly allergic to silver too." Near felt that strange tension again. He knew in that moment L knew more than he was going to let on. Near nodded and left, motioning Mello inside.  
Mello acted as if nothing happened last night, but Near couldn't forget it. He wondered what Mello was up to? What was L up to? Near was going to need to be careful, both of his advisories were getting much too close to the truth for his comfort.  
Mello sat in the chair before L,  
"Then you suspect Near the most." L said, Mello nodded.  
"I know that Near being out late last night makes him more than suspicious, but... I believe I saw blood on his shirt..." L nodded, taking a bite of a hard candy that gave a loud crunch. "Yes, I also suspect Near for my own reasons. But if he is the Ice Prince, he certainly is doing a good job of playing along." Mello agreed, but he couldn't help but think of the cameras. He had been with Near during that time they had been turned back on. Which meant Near couldn't have turned them back on, and he was certain he didn't turn them off...  
"Do we know who was on duty in the monitoring station during the time periods?" Mello asked, L blinked.  
"Oh, I was." Mello's eyes widened.  
"Then you must've turned the cameras off!" L shrugged,  
"I went out to have a snack at that time..." Mello couldn't tell if he was lying or not. Then again, L was snacking all the time. It seemed reliable.  
"Fine. Then who else was around?" Mello asked, his eyes narrowed. He wished he had a chocolate bar... L started biting at his nails a bit.  
"There were still investigators going in and out, and security guards." Mello sighed. "So plenty of people to be suspicious of..." L tapped his lip,  
"Mello, you should know that during an investigation, you should always expect anyone. That's how I solved the Kira case." Mello nodded.  
"Then I will suspect anyone. Even you." L nodded, he even smiled a bit.  
"That's fine, after all we have to always suspect each other." The orange-haired boy scowled,  
"It's pretty damn sad we gotta do that." L agreed. And with that they departed.  
Near rolled around in his bed. It was a restless night again... He was hungry again, but he couldn't risk going out. He sat up and turned to his puppets. L was now on a block, along with Mello. Near needed to get up on a block... He would need to find someone to take his suspicion. Someone to blame. He narrowed his eyes. They started to burn, and he could tell they'd turned red. Maybe hunting was a good idea, but he'd have to stay inside Wammy's. He could find someone to blame inside Wammy's without issue. The kids here may still break under pressure...  



	4. Discovery

Vampire Near fanfiction 4:  
The bloodlust was a rush that flooded his mind and his thoughts. He could no longer think straight. All that mattered was blood. Though, he did recall one thing that L had told him,  
"Apparently, the longer a vampire lives and consumes blood, the more they crave and consume. Soon the Ice Prince will need to consume more than one person a day." Near didn't want that to happen, but he had to eat. He got up from his bed, moving in a robotic fashion. He often wondered if this vampirism would one day turn him into one of the toys he enjoyed playing with. The one that would be playing with him would be his hunger. He tossed off his white garments and went back to his bloodied dark clothes.  
Silently opening the door, Near peaked outside. His body was tense, anyone could be watching. The white-haired boy noticed a shadow that was moving away; he had just missed the guard. He slipped out of the door, closing it just as quietly as before. He knew that he couldn't afford any slip-ups. He moved swiftly down the hallway, making sure to pause outside of Mello's door. Near heard silence, so he continued on. The more he moved, the more clouded his brain became and the harder it was to concentrate. Since when had he become such a slave to his thirst? The blood in his own veins was on fire. All he could see was blood, all he could taste was blood, all he could hear is the sound of biting and the sound of blood flowing, all he could smell was that tempting smell of people all around him. After moving down two halls, he finally stopped, pausing to let a guard by. At that point his hunger was too much. He wasn't being extra quiet anymore, and he moved quickly instead of quietly toward a door. He opened it with caution, and slipped inside momentarily. The white-haired boy found his eyes immediately fall to his victim. A girl was curled up in her bed, a worn teddy bear held close to her under her arm. Near's eyes flared strongly at the sight, and he felt his mouth water. It smelt so good, looked so good... Tasted so good. He moved towards her in a flash and loomed over her, his fangs coming out...  
"N-Near...?" The girl spoke softly. Damn, he hadn't been quiet enough. "Is something w-wrong?" She seemed scared, but he'd be too if he woke up to a vampire about to eat him. Near brought his sleeve up to his eyes quickly and pulled back quickly. The girl sat up and stared at him with fear. She had seen. "Near's the vampire!" She said loudly, immediately trying to get out of bed. The white-haired boy's eyes were still red as he stood close to her with one hand on her shoulder.  
"You can't tell anyone..." He hissed; he wasn't use to being in a desperate situation without a back-up plan. "Please don't tell." She wasn't understanding, he could tell based on how she looked at him with such fear in her eyes. "You were g-going to e-eat me!" She almost screamed, luckily Near put his hand over her mouth. His red eyes continued to glow brightly, the stress had churned his appetite, but it was largely still there.  
"Do you know what happens if they found out I'm the Ice Prince?" He spoke suddenly, his voice shaking but serious. "They'll kill me. That makes you a murderer." She shook in fear yet again, but that wasn't going to get him anywhere.  
"But you've killed a lot of people! You're evil Near! You're a nasty vampire that drinks people's blood!" Near flinched, but did nor say anything. "I can't keep it a secret... You're too scary..." The girl said, starting to cry. Near was looking down and biting his lips. Did she have any idea how hungry he was? Did she have any idea what she was doing to him? The hunger. The fear. He was use to it. Near suddenly grabbed her roughly and threw her down against the bed. Without a second thought, he latched his fangs onto her neck. He lost himself in the moment, the blood flowing into him was such a strong feeling. Yet, part of him was fighting. This was wrong, he was justice. He was to be the next L, the detective who brings justice! What was he doing right now?  
When he tore himself away; she was already dead. A permanent look of being afraid etched into her features. Near took a look and then felt a strong sense of nausea tug at his stomach. He quickly got up. The white-haired boy's head was spinning; it was all sickening.  
As if that all wasn't enough to make him retch, he heard a loud knock and a voice he didn't want to hear at the door. "Anna! Are you okay?! I'm coming in!" It was Mello. The door flew open, and Near was frozen on the spot. His eyes still red, and blood still on his lips. Mello stood in the doorway for a long moment, and the two merely stared at each other in shock.  
"Near? What are you doing -?" Mello stopped suddenly, his eyes meeting the body of Anna. "W-What have you-" He charged at Near, grabbing him up by his shirt collar again and shaking him, "DONE?!" Near merely stared. His body had froze, it was like everything had shut down. Mello shook him again, "You will answer me, Near!" He shouted at the younger boy. Near's body finally twitched, and his eyes went back to their typical grey. "I-I..." Mello gripped the collar tighter, his look only getting more furious. "I'm... Sorry." The orange-haired boy suddenly scoffed and laughed.  
"You're sorry?! You're sorry?! The HELL you're sorry! Tell that to Anna!" He gestured to her limp body; the teddy bear's arm still in her hand. Near felt that surge of sickness sweep over him. He was disgusted with himself. No, not even disgust could describe it... Something worse. He was horrified. Mello loosened his grip and dropped Near. The boy fell to his hands and knees, not even bothering to stay standing. Mello stood above him,  
"So you're the Ice Prince? You're the vampire that killed eight people? No wait, it's nine now." He got down by Near's face, and looked him in the eye, "How does that feel? You killed nine people." The younger boy's body was trembling. He couldn't hide his emotions; he couldn't hide the guilt and the disgust he felt towards himself. Mello looked furious, even after gloating. Even with Near's anguish he could tell that Mello wasn't satisfied. But typically gloating made him stop being mad. Mello mumbled softly,  
"I wish it was someone else..." He then sighed, leaning forward and hugging Near. The white-haired boy's body became quite still except for the occasional tremor. Why was Mello hugging him? What was wrong with this all? What? Why? How? It all repeated over and over in the boy's mind like an angry wasp nest. Mello held him closer, and whispered quietly, "I'm sorry." Near felt himself get directly hit in his heart, and a tear fell from his eye. "I'm going to protect you from L... I promise... Nate..." He spoke very quietly, but there was an odd tenderness that was comforting. It was a voice Near never imagined getting directed towards him. He finally moved his arms around Mello. He cried because it hurt; he cried because he knew it wouldn't last. 


	5. Gift

Vampire Near fanfiction 5:  
The next week flew by, and just as Near had suspected, Mello had acted like nothing had happened. Luckily, Anna turned out to still be alive. He was quite relieved that he hadn't killed another innocent person especially someone he lived with. L had visited, but Near refused to see him by saying he was sick. As far as he knew, Mello hadn't told anyone that he was the Ice Prince. Near wondered how Kira had felt when L had found out... It was a similar situation, but Near would never kill Mello without a VERY good reason.  
"How long are you going to pretend to be sick?" Mello said, standing against the closed door. Mello was the only one who knew that Near wasn't really sick. Since the incident with Anna, he hadn't consumed any blood whatsoever. It was like starving. Near was lying on his bed, and Mello couldn't help but notice the boy was looking sickly.  
"I'll be sick as long as I see fit." Near remarked stubbornly. Mello snorted and rolled his eyes.  
"L's starting to get real suspicious of you. If you want to hide the truth from the world's greatest detective you'll have to step up your game." Near threw his arm over his face. The whole experience was so exhausting and tiring. The white-haired boy hadn't been sleeping well since biting Anna. He was also generally weak from not eating.  
"You think I don't know that?" Near retorted, Mello frowned and scowled with minor irritation.  
"Who the hell else am I suppose to compete with if you die?! That's why you can't freakin' die! So put up more of a fight will you?! I mean, damn!" Near shifted his arm so he could look at Mello.  
"Why are you keeping the secret to yourself? What are you planning, Mello?" The orange-haired boy crossed his arms,  
"Why would I tell you, even if you aren't fighting right now... I know that you'll still try. I have information that gives me a large advantage. I'm not a moron, unlike you." Near sat up on his bed,  
"Why didn't you kill me, you'd win if you did. You confuse me. If anything, you're the one who doesn't make any sense." Mello pointed his finger at him a furious look on his face.  
"Look! I can keep my decisions to myself! I don't need to tell you my reasons for doing things! Because I have my reasons just as much as you have yours!" Near frowned slightly,  
"But you don't make any sense. Why do you pretend that the things that have happened never happened?" Mello smirked,  
"Maybe I wished that they never happened." Near scowled, and Mello's face became serious again, "And again, that's my business, not yours, Near." Mello hissed his name.  
"Fine. I'm done asking questions. Though as you say, I'll say that I'm allowed to be curious." Mello sighed,  
"You don't get curious, you're a robot that doesn't feel anything." Near's eyes flared slightly,  
"I feel as much as any other human." Mello snorted,  
"Yup, but not really. I mean, just look at the way you say 'human'. That makes you inhuman." Near felt like he was being belittled... It annoyed him at the very least.  
"Your emotions are your issue. If I have none, that makes me superior to you." Mello clutched his hand into fist,  
"You piss me off you damn brat!" He snapped snatching Near's collar. They were just inches away from each other. "You're so damn special, right? Everyone takes your orders, but take them away and you'd be nothing!" Near swallowed, his eyes fixed on Mello's, and then spoke.  
"Same as you." Mello sneered and then moved his hand right beside Near's cheek.  
"Well, at least I can defend myself." Near gave an unamused look, but that changed when he felt Mello's lips on his. His eyes widened, and then they changed color from grey to red. Mello pulled away, and then grinned. "I keep forgetting that you're a vampire." Near frowned, and wiped his mouth with mild intrigue and disgust.  
"I have to eat at some point... But I don't really want to." Mello turned towards the door and walked to it.  
"At some point maybe I'll give you the chance to suck my blood. But not right now." Near watched him disappear with a strange feeling inside of him. He glanced at his three figures, and removed the block from Mello. Now if he could just figure out L. He was going to have to stop being sick, that way he could meet with L again. He'd have to.  
That night was utter hell. The hunger was consuming Near's entire body... It crawled over his arms, legs and feet and slithered over his chest, neck and shoulders. His breathing was shallow and somewhat hoarse, and his hands were clutched into fists while squeezing the sheets. The constant thought of blood was echoing through his mind over and over. He faintly recalled L's words to him when they happened to pass by each other.  
"A vampire's hunger gets stronger the more they eat... Did you know Dracula killed 100 people in a single day before he died?"  
The boy couldn't help but realize he was stupid for not finding a book on vampires. His eyes burned and his stomach growled. Near squeezed his eyes shut and clutched the sheets harder. It was only two in the morning (2:00 A.M.) and he was only getting worse.  
A faint knock finally made him open his eyes. He got out of bed and numbly walked to the door. If anyone was stupid enough to disturb him while he was like this, they'd probably die. Near opened the door, but no one was there. However, there was a box with a small note on top of it. The white-haired boy looked down the hall both directions, but no one was in sight or even sound distance. In fact, the whole building was rather quiet. He leaned down and picked up the box, silently closing the door. Maybe this could distract his stomach?  
Near gently lifted the lid, and saw pink, red and white tissue paper. He was confused, Valentines Day was still far away, right? Sifting through the paper, he found a squishy bag at the bottom. Once he pulled it out he froze. It was a bag of blood; a good portion too. Near snatched the note and his ruby eyes scanned the paper. It read:  
Dear N,  
I know your secret. It's safe with me. Here's a present so you may sleep tonight. Don't worry about where it comes from... I can assure you I keep my secrets.  
\- R Near was shocked, this clearly wasn't Mello, but it couldn't be L either. The boy looked at the bag of blood in his hand. The surge of hunger pressed down upon him again. He swallowed, and then bit into the bag with his fangs extended. 


End file.
